Method for Increasing Recycled Manganese Content

ABSTRACT

Methods of recycling batteries are provided, in which reaction conditions and elements are designed to maximize manganese recovery while minimizing zinc and potassium impurities in the recovered manganese. Methods of treating waste solution created by washing the manganese, so as to remove zinc from the waste solution, are also provided. Batteries prepared via such methods are also provided.

BACKGROUND

Nearly 3 billion dry-cell batteries are purchased every year in theUnited States. In order to reduce the number of these that end up inlandfills, efforts have been made to push both the use of rechargeablebatteries and the recycling of disposable batteries. Recovery of batterymaterials via recycling can also provide cost benefits in batteryproduction compared to producing batteries using all new material(Sayilgan 2009). As the demand for batteries containing recycledmaterials increases, the need for more efficient recycling processesalso increases.

Processes for recycling batteries are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.8,728,419 and 8,911,696, both to Smith et al., as well as Ferella et al.(2010), which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Avariety of other chemical and/or mechanical methods for recoveringmetals, and particularly manganese (Mn) from discharged batteries, areknown in the art. Among the types of batteries that comprise recoverablemanganese are alkaline batteries, in the cathode, and zinc carbonbatteries, in the interior of the battery, adjacent to the anode. Therecovered manganese can be used to make electrolytic manganese dioxide(EMD). The recovered manganese may have impurities, including potassium(K) and zinc (Zn), which reduces the utility of the recycling process.For example, recycled cathode manganese recovered from alkalinebatteries inherently has high levels of potassium due to the potassiumhydroxide (KOH) electrolyte in the cell and high levels of zinc fromcross-contamination of the anode. While many methods focus on theseparation of the zinc, very little effort is focused on removal ofpotassium. Current mechanical and thermal recycling processes areineffective at removing potassium. Potassium negatively impacts theregenerated EMD performance, quality, and costs. This reduces theefficiency of using the recovered manganese to produce EMD for use inbatteries comprising recycled content. In turn, this makes it difficultto produce batteries comprising a higher percentage of recycledmanganese (“higher recycled content” or “higher content”).

Consequently, a need for a more efficient process for obtaining andpurifying recycled material from discarded alkaline or zinc carbonbattery feedstock exists. In particular, a system that reduces theamount of potassium and zinc impurities, and/or increases the amount ofrecovered manganese, would be welcomed. A method of reusing water usedduring the recovery process, so as to produce less waste water in thecourse of recycling, would also be welcomed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An embodiment is a process for removing potassium from an aqueoussolution, comprising the step of:

-   -   a) reacting potassium sulfate with ferric sulfate so as to form        potassium jarosite,

wherein the iron:potassium ratio is no greater than about 20:1.

An embodiment is a process for reducing the amount of fresh waterrequired to recycle a plurality of batches of recovered batterymaterial, comprising the steps of:

-   -   a) contacting manganese oxide solids comprising zinc and        impurities with an acidic solution, so as to produce a waste        solution comprising impurities;    -   b) raising the pH of the waste solution to at least 9.0 so as to        cause a portion of the impurities to precipitate;    -   c) removing precipitated impurities; and    -   d) after removing the precipitated impurities, using the waste        solution to wash additional recovered battery material;

wherein the impurities comprise zinc or potassium impurities.

An embodiment is a process for recycling batteries, comprising the stepsof:

-   -   a) separating active materials contained within battery cases        from the battery cases, wherein the active materials comprise        fine electrode powders of manganese oxides;    -   b) extracting residual zinc and potassium compounds from the        fine electrode powders to obtain a purified manganese oxide        product;

wherein step b) is performed using waste solution which has previouslybeen used in the course of recycling batteries; and wherein the wastesolution has been treated to remove zinc by the addition of NaOH.

An embodiment is a battery produced using any of the above embodiments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the potassium impurity levels in 4% recycled cell feed.

FIG. 2 shows potassium impurity levels in batches of recycledelectrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) (in dotted boxes) and non-recycledEMD (outside the dotted boxes). The X axis represents different batchesof EMD.

FIG. 3 shows weight loss results for washing recipes using a pH of about4 and about 1.5.

FIG. 4 shows zinc analysis for six batches of mechanically-separatedrecovered cathode material.

FIG. 5 shows potassium analysis for six batches ofmechanically-separated recovered cathode material.

FIG. 6 shows manganese analysis for six batches ofmechanically-separated recovered cathode material.

FIG. 7 shows the pH of washed and dried recovered manganese.

FIG. 8 shows a sodium analysis of one batch washed using fresh water andfive batches washed using recycled water.

FIG. 9 shows the amount of fresh and recycled water used for theentirety of the recovery process in each of the six batches.

FIG. 10 shows the amount of sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide used inthe washing and water treatment for each of the six batches.

FIG. 11 shows the effect of Fe:K ratio on final leach potassium impuritylevels for 25% recycled material.

FIG. 12 shows the impact of additional peroxide reaction time on thefinal leach potassium impurity levels for 25% recycled material, fordifferent Fe:K ratio. Within each Fe:K ratio, from left to right, thebars represent 10, 20 and 30 additional minutes of soak time,respectively, added to the standard time of 30 minutes.

FIG. 13 shows the impact of using 25% recycled material on potassiumimpurity levels. The left three bars represent leaching of standard ore,while the rightmost bar represents leaching of 25% recycled ore.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND DISCUSSION

Various embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allembodiments are shown. Indeed, various embodiments may be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Likenumbers refer to like elements throughout. In the following description,various components may be identified as having specific values orparameters, however, these items are provided as exemplary embodiments.Indeed, the exemplary embodiments do not limit the various aspects andconcepts of the embodiments as many comparable parameters, sizes,ranges, and/or values may be implemented. The terms “first,” “second,”and the like, “primary,” “exemplary,” “secondary,” and the like, do notdenote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used todistinguish one element from another. Further, the terms “a,” “an,” and“the” do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote thepresence of “at least one” of the referenced item. For example, “anorganic additive” may refer to two or more organic additives. The word“or” is intended to be inclusive rather than exclusive, unless contextsuggests otherwise. As an example, the phrase “A employs B or C,”includes any inclusive permutation (e.g., A employs B; A employs C; or Aemploys both B and C).

Each embodiment disclosed herein is contemplated as being applicable toeach of the other disclosed embodiments. All combinations andsub-combinations of the various elements described herein are within thescope of the embodiments.

It is understood that where a parameter range is provided, all integersand ranges within that range, and tenths and hundredths thereof, arealso provided by the embodiments. For example, “5-10%” includes 5%, 6%,7%, 8%, 9%, and 10%; 5.0%, 5.1%, 5.2% . . . 9.8%, 9.9%, and 10.0%; and5.00%, 5.01%, 5.02% . . . 9.98%, 9.99%, and 10.00%, as well as, forexample, 6-9%, 7-10%, 5.1%-9.9%, and 6.01%-8.99%. As another example,“≥90” includes ≥91, ≥92, ≥93 . . . ; ≥90.1, ≥90.2, ≥90.3 . . . ; and≥90.01, ≥90.02, ≥90.03 . . . .

As used herein, “about” in the context of a numerical value or rangemeans within ±10% of the numerical value or range recited or claimed.

As used herein, “regular ore,” “virgin ore” or “non-recycled ore” refersto ore that has not been recovered from batteries.

As used herein, “waste solution” refers to a solution that has alreadybeen used in at least one aspect of the battery recycling process inorder to obtain recycled manganese. The waste solution may haveimpurities within, such as zinc and/or potassium. The waste solution maybe treated waste solution, meaning that it has been altered so as tomake it suitable for either re-use or environmentally safe disposal.

As used herein, “substantially” means refers to the complete or nearlycomplete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state,structure, item, or result. For example, “Substantially all” may mean≥90%, ≥95%, ≥99%, ≥99.9%, or ≥99.99%.

An embodiment is a process for removing potassium from an aqueoussolution, comprising the step of:

-   -   a) reacting potassium sulfate with ferric sulfate so as to form        potassium jarosite,

wherein the iron:potassium ratio is no greater than about 20:1.

In an embodiment, the iron:potassium ratio is no greater than about15:1, or is about 11.5:1.

In an embodiment, the reaction occurs at a pH of about 1.8 to about 2.0.

In an embodiment, the aqueous solution is a sulfuric acid solution.

An embodiment is a process for reducing the amount of fresh waterrequired to recycle a plurality of batches of recovered batterymaterial, comprising the steps of:

-   -   a) contacting manganese oxide solids comprising zinc and        impurities with an acidic solution, so as to produce a waste        solution comprising impurities;    -   b) raising the pH of the waste solution to at least 9.0 so as to        cause a portion of the impurities to precipitate;    -   c) removing precipitated impurities; and    -   d) after removing the precipitated impurities, using the waste        solution to wash additional recovered battery material;

wherein the impurities comprise zinc or potassium impurities.

In an embodiment, in step b) the pH is raised to at least 10.0. In anembodiment, in step b) the pH is raised by adding NaOH.

In an embodiment, the pH of the waste solution is reduced prior to stepd).

In an embodiment, the acidic solution is a sulfuric acid solution.

An embodiment is a process for recycling batteries, comprising the stepsof:

-   -   a) separating active materials contained within battery cases        from the battery cases, wherein the active materials comprise        fine electrode powders of manganese oxides;    -   b) extracting residual zinc and potassium compounds from the        fine electrode powders to obtain a purified manganese oxide        product;

wherein step b) is performed using waste solution previously generatedin the course of recycling batteries; and wherein the waste solution hasbeen treated to remove zinc by the addition of NaOH.

In an embodiment, step b) is performed in an aqueous solution or aqueousslurry at a pH of less than or about 1.5. In an embodiment, the pH isabout 0.8.

In an embodiment, step a) is carried out using a water spray to obtain aslurry of the fine electrode powders and pieces of the battery cases.

In an embodiment, the separation in step a) comprises sieving the activematerials and the battery cases through a screen to separate the activematerials from the battery cases. In an embodiment, the screen is a 20+mesh screen.

In an embodiment, during step a) the active materials are present in theform of an aqueous slurry having a pH of greater than 8.

In an embodiment, the purified manganese oxide product from step b) isroasted at 350-400° C. to remove substantially all volatile or corrosiveimpurities or traces of mercury prior to calcinating the purifiedmanganese oxide product at 850° C. or higher.

In an embodiment, the liquid to solid ratio during step c) is betweenabout 12:1 to about 14:1.

In an embodiment, the aqueous solution or aqueous slurry comprisessulfuric acid.

In an embodiment, a process as described above results in recoveredmanganese solids comprising <15,000 PPM Zn, <14,000 PPM Zn, <13,000 PPMZn, <12,000 PPM Zn, <11,000 PPM Zn, <10,000 PPM Zn, <9,000 PPM Zn,<8,000 PPM Zn, <7,000 PPM Zn, <6,000 PPM Zn, or <5,000 PPM Zn. In anembodiment, a process as described above results in recovered manganesesolids comprising <7,000 PPM K, <6,500 PPM K, <6,000 PPM K, <5,500 PPMK, <5,000 PPM K, <4,500 PPM K, <4,000 PPM K, <3,500 PPM K, or <3,000 PPMK. In an embodiment, a process as described above results in recoveredmanganese solids comprising >46% Mn, >47% Mn, >48% Mn, >49% Mn, >50%Mn, >51% Mn, >52% Mn, >53% Mn, or >54% Mn, by weight.

An embodiment is a battery produced using any of the above embodiments.In an embodiment, the battery is an alkaline battery. In anotherembodiment, the battery is a carbon zinc battery. In an embodiment, thebattery comprises manganese, wherein greater than about 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%,8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%,23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%,37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%,51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%,65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%,79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%,93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 99.9% of the manganese, by weightpercent, is recovered from recycled batteries. In an embodiment, about4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%,19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%,33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%,47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%,61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%,75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%,89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.9%, or 100% ofthe manganese, by weight percent, is recovered from recycled batteries.

One way of separating the cathode from the battery is via a mechanicalprocess, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,620,790, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In this process, foralkaline batteries, the battery is cut opened and the anode is removed.The cathode is then crushed and the can is removed via mechanicalseparation. For zinc carbon batteries, the exterior part of the batterywould be removed, and the inside of the battery, containing manganese,would be kept for further processing. A second way of separating thecathode from the battery is via a hydrometallurgical process. Here, thebatteries are crushed and shredded, the large can pieces and paper areremoved, and the material is then hydrometallurgically cleaned to removemost of the zinc and potassium. Different types of batteries, such asalkaline batteries and zinc carbon batteries, may be shredded together.

As mentioned, recovered manganese has potassium and zinc impuritieswhich reduce its quality. For higher recycled content EMD materials,these levels should be less than 15,000 PPM Zn and less than 7,000 PPMK. Typical non-recycled ore has approximately 5,000-8,000 PPM K, and<100 PPM Zn. Further, the manganese content of the recovered materialshould be at least 48%. Typical non-recycled (i.e. virgin) ore containsapproximately 48-50% manganese.

In a first step of a hydrometallurgical process used to separate thecathode from the remainder of the battery, the batteries may be fedthrough a crusher or shredder to open up the batteries and therebyliberate the electrode powders contained within. In one embodiment, ahammer mill with water spray is employed, although alternatively thisstep may be run dry. The pH optionally may be greater than 8 followingthis step, as a neutral or higher pH may help protect the equipment fromcorrosion. To raise the pH greater than 8, an alkali hydroxide, such assodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH) may be added.However, it usually will not be necessary to add an alkali hydroxide forrecycling alkaline batteries alone, because of the inherent alkalinityof alkaline batteries.

The crushed batteries, which are typically in the form of an aqueousslurry, may then be deposited onto a shaker table or surface providingsize separation (screening action). The coarser material containingalmost all of the steel from the battery cases, the brass pins,separator materials and coarser case materials remain on the shakertable or screening device. The shaker table or screening device may have¼″ openings, for example (although the shaker table may have openings ofany of a variety of sizes). The finer electrode materials containingsubstantially all of the manganese oxides, carbon, zinc hydroxides,other zinc compounds, and any unreacted powdered zinc metal can bepassed through a screen (e.g., a 20+ mesh screen) to produce a basicslurry (typically having a pH greater than 9). Optionally, this basicslurry may be passed through a magnetic separator to remove any smallpieces of steel which may still be present. The slurry is next combinedwith sulfuric acid. The coarser material (for example, material capturedby the 20+ mesh screen) which is separated from the initial crushedbatteries may be dried and passed through a magnetic separator torecover clean steel particles, which can then be recycled (to steelmills, for example).

Alternatively, in a mechanical separation process, for alkalinebatteries, a battery (or multiple batteries simultaneously) may have itsends cut off, such as by a saw, a water jet, and/or the like, and thenhave the anode basket pushed out, such as by a finger with air. Theremaining material, the can and the cathode material, is shredded, forexample, by a shredder. The steel is removed from this shredded materialvia magnetic separation. The remaining material is the cathode(manganese) material. For zinc carbon batteries, the interior of thebatteries would contain the manganese oxide solids, so the interior ofthe battery would be retained. To wash the manganese oxide solidmaterial, it may then be slurried in water and combined with sulfuricacid. Alternatively, an aqueous sulfuric acid solution may be combineddirectly with the recovered solids.

In either case, the sulfuric acid serves to extract zinc and potassiumremaining in the manganese oxide solids, thereby producing anacid-extracted manganese oxide product, in a washing step. The manganeseoxide solids may contain manganese dioxide (MnO₂) and other dischargedproducts, such as manganese (III) oxide (Mn₂O₃), manganese (II)hydroxide (Mn(OH)₂), manganese (II,III) oxide (Mn₃O₄), or zinc manganate(ZnMn₂O₄). The goal is to remove zinc and potassium while minimizingmanganese dissolution. The ultimate goal is to dissolve the zinc andpotassium while leaving the manganese as a solid. Typically, an amountof sulfuric acid is used which is sufficient to achieve a pH below 3 inthe aqueous slurry of manganese oxide solids.

In a preferred embodiment, a pH less than or about 1.5 is achieved. Inanother preferred embodiment, a pH less than or about 0.8 is achieved.In an embodiment, the liquid to solid ratio is about 5:1 to 15:1. In apreferred embodiment, the liquid to solid ratio is about 5:1 to 7:1. Ina more preferred embodiment, the liquid to solid ratio is about 5.6:1.In a preferred embodiment, the liquid to solid ratio is about 12:1 to14:1. In a more preferred embodiment, the liquid to solid ratio is about13:1. The mixture of manganese oxide solids, sulfuric acid and water maybe agitated or mixed by stirring, for example. The manganese oxidesolids may be contacted with the sulfuric acid for a time and at atemperature effective to achieve a desired reduction in the zinc andpotassium content of the manganese oxide solids. For example, suchcontacting may be carried out for about 30 minutes to about 4 hours at atemperature of from about room temperature (or 25° C.) to about 70° C.In an embodiment, water used in this process is reused, treated waterused in previous battery recycling.

For mechanically separated material, in a preferred embodiment, a liquidto solid ratio of approximately 13:1 is used, at a pH of 1.5, for about30 minutes, at approximately room temperature.

For hydrometallurgically separated material, in a preferred embodiment,a liquid to solid ratio of about 5.6:1 is used, at a pH of about 0.8,for at least about 4 hours at about 70° C. In another embodiment, aliquid to solid ratio of about 13:1 is used, at a pH of about 1.4 toabout 1.5, for between 30 minutes and 4 hours at about 70° C.

The further purified manganese oxide solids (acid-extracted manganeseoxide product) may be separated from the sulfuric acid solution by anysuitable method, such as filtration. If filtration is used, theresulting filter cake may be washed. The pH of the acidic extractobtained as a result of the treatment with sulfuric acid may beadjusted, through the addition of a base such as an alkali hydroxide, toa pH of about 9 to about 10 to precipitate the extracted zinc as well asthe extracted manganese that may be present in the acidic extract. Thiswashing step uses a significant amount of water, which can be treated asdiscussed below so as to reduce the amount of waste water produced.

The separated manganese oxide solids separated from the sulfuric acidsolution may thereafter be furnaced under a low oxygen atmosphere at atemperature of 850° C. or greater to convert MnO₂ to manganese (II)oxide (MnO). For example, the low oxygen atmosphere may be an inertatmosphere, e.g., a nitrogen atmosphere. In one embodiment, the lowoxygen atmosphere used contains less than 5% O₂ by volume. The furnacingtemperature may be about 900° C., for example. Prior to furnacing underthe low oxygen atmosphere, the acid-extracted manganese oxide productmay be subjected to a distinct initial step wherein it is first roastedat 350-400° C. prior to heating to the furnacing temperature (850° C. orgreater). This initial roasting step may be carried out under conditionseffective to remove any volatile or corrosive impurities or traces ofmercury. The product obtained by furnacing, a calcined ore, may becooled under an inert atmosphere to protect it from re-oxidation. Thisproduct may be subsequently packaged and shipped to another location forsubsequent stages in the recycling process.

The manganese oxide solids prior to furnacing may contain some graphitecarbon derived from the batteries; this carbon aids in the conversion ofMnO₂ to MnO.

As an alternative method of converting MnO₂ to MnO, the manganese may bereduced using iron pyrite (FeS₂). As another alternative method, theMnO₂ may be chemically converted to manganese (II) carbonate (MnCO₃). Inthis process, a solution having zinc and manganese is treated withammonium carbonate in ammonia. The carbonate preferentially reacts withthe manganese to form manganese (II) carbonate. The zinc remains insolution. Manganese (II) carbonate decomposes at elevated temperature(at least about 200° C.) to produce manganese (II) oxide, with a releaseof carbon dioxide. Alternatively, the manganese carbonate can be useddirectly to generate EMD, along with carbon dioxide, without first beingdecomposed to manganese (II) oxide.

The recovered, optionally washed MnO then undergoes a leaching process.The steps of this process may be seen in Table 1, below. The reactionsare generally performed in the temperature range of 92-98° C. “G/L”means grams per liter.

TABLE 1 Leaching reactions (with Hydrogen shuttle) ReactionSteps/Conditions Reaction 1: Calcined ore 30+ G/L 38+ G/L Leaching ofMnO + H₂SO₄ → MnSO₄ + H₂O manganese Reaction 2: Ferrous oxide (+2) pH <1.8 Ferrous sulfate (+2) Dissolution of FeO + H₂SO₄ → FeSO₄ + H₂Oferrous oxide Reaction 3: Ferrous sulfate C4 ore pH <1.8 Ferric sulfateConversion of 2FeSO₄ + MnO₂ + 2H₂SO₄ → Fe₂(SO₄)₃ + MnSO₄ + ferrous toferric 2H₂O Reaction 4: Hydrogen peroxide pH 1.8 Ferric iron Conversionof 2Fe⁺² + H₂O₂ + 2H⁺ → 2Fe⁺³ + 2H₂O remaining 2FeSO₄ + H₂O₂ + H₂SO₄ →Fe₂(SO₄)₃ + 2H₂O ferrous to ferric MnO₂ + H₂O₂ + 2H⁺ → Mn⁺² + H₂O + O₂and dissolve surface MnO₂ Reaction 5: Ferric sulfate pH 1.8-2.0Potassium jarosite Jarosite K₂SO₄ + 3Fe2(SO₄)₃ + 12H₂O →2KFe₃(SO₄)₂(OH)₆ + reaction 6H₂SO₄ (potassium removal) Reaction 6:Calcined ore pH 3 << 55 G/L Leaching of MnO + H₂SO₄ → MnSO₄ + H₂Omanganese Reaction 7: Hydrogen peroxide pH 3 Ferric iron Conversion of2Fe⁺² + H₂O₂ + 2H⁺ → 2Fe⁺³ + 2H₂O remaining 2FeSO₄ + H₂O₂ + H₂SO₄ →Fe₂(SO₄)₃ + 2H₂O ferrous to ferric MnO₂ + H₂O₂ + 2H⁺ → Mn⁺² + H₂O + O₂Reaction 8: Ferric iron pH >3.6 Ferric hydroxide Precipitation of2Fe⁺³ + 6H₂O → 2Fe(OH)₃ + 6H⁺ ferric Reaction 9: Calcined ore pH > 4.155 G/L Leaching of MnO + H₂SO₄ → MnSO₄ + H₂O manganese

Controlling the iron:potassium (Fe:K) ratio in Reaction 5 (the jarositereaction) is important for maximizing potassium removal. In anembodiment, the Fe:K ratio is no greater than about or about 20:1. In apreferred embodiment, the Fe:K ratio is no greater than about or about15:1. In a more preferred embodiment, the Fe:K ratio is no greater thanabout or about 11.5. A higher Fe:K ratio may be used, but low-potassiumore or a caustic solution (i.e., lime, NaOH . . . ) will need to be usedto raise the final pH. Further, the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) steps(Reactions 4 and 7) should take at least 15 and 30 minutes,respectively, but may each be extended in order to allow more potassiumto be dissolved. When the Fe:K ratio is maintained at 11.5, added timefor the hydrogen peroxide steps improves the removal of potassium, butadded time may not be necessary, given that the standard times of 15 and30 minutes usually results in sufficient removal of potassium. FIG. 12shows the effects of additional soak time during Reaction 7 on finalpotassium levels. Further, when there is excess ferric iron in solution,Reaction 8 reduces the pH of the solution so as to cause the process togo back to Reaction 5.

Following the leaching process, sulfiding is then performed in order toremove heavy metals, including zinc, copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), nickel(Ni), molybdenum (Mo), and mercury (Hg). The reactions are shown below,in Table 2. The reactions are generally performed in the temperaturerange of 70-80° C.

TABLE 2 Sulfiding reactions for heavy metal removal pH 3.8-4.2 HydrogenSulfide Gas 2NaSH + H₂SO₄ → 2H₂S ↑ + Na₂SO₄ Hydrogen Sulfide InsolubleMetal Sulfides H₂S + M⁺⁺ → MS ↓ + 2H⁺ (where M⁺⁺ = Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Mo,Hg)

Sodium hydrosulfide (NaSH or NaHS) is added in the sulfiding process. Inthe presence of residual acid (pH=4) remaining from the leachingprocess, NaHS will convert to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas (↑). The gasreacts with heavy metals to produce metal sulfides, which precipitateout of solution (↓) for easy removal. In this process, there is a limiton how much and how quickly NaHS can be safely added to the solution. Ifan excess amount of NaHS is added, or is added at an accelerated rate,H₂S will release from liquid prior to reacting (when pH<4.6), which willcause excessive gassing. As H₂S is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable,it is desirable to avoid such an occurrence.

Following the sulfiding process, the MnSO₄ may be used to prepare EMD byany method known in the art.

In past efforts at preparing cathodes comprising 4% recycled manganese,the impurity level of potassium in cell feed averaged 20 PPM (FIG. 1),more than twice the standard amount in non-recycled material. In orderto get the potassium impurity level down to 20 PPM, significant amountsof ferric sulfate were added in order to precipitate out the potassium.The final EMD product for the recycled material had potassium levelsdouble (350 PPM) what is typically observed with non-recycled EMDproduction (175 PPM) (FIG. 2, showing potassium levels in EMD producedfrom recycled (in the dotted boxes) and non-recycled (outside the dottedboxes) manufacturing methods). For zinc, three times the normal amountof NaHS was required to remove this impurity.

Because higher recycled content manganese (i.e. >4% recycled) containsso much more zinc than non-recycled zinc, the sulfiding step requiresmore NaHS (more than six times as much, currently). While slowing downthe NaHS feed rate can reduce the H₂S release, these elevatedconcentrations create an increased opportunity for H₂S gassing. Byreducing the amount of zinc remaining in the recycled contentpost-leaching, the risk of gassing is reduced, as is the amount (and,thereby, cost) of added NaHS required for the process. Further, earlyassessment of producing a higher recycled content battery predicts thatpotassium levels would increase to over 500 PPM, an unsuitably highlevel.

The recycling process requires a significant amount of water, which willultimately comprise impurities (such as zinc, potassium, and sodiumcompounds, including zinc oxide, zinc carbonate, potassium carbonate,and sodium carbonate) removed from the manganese. Each batch ofapproximately 2,500 lbs of material used 4,200 gallons of fresh waterfrom start to finish. As mentioned above, a significant portion of thiswater is used in the washing step. Reusing this water is not ideal, asthe resulting washed manganese could contain too high of a zincconcentration to be suitable for use as a battery. To avoid having todispose of the water as waste, the zinc is removed. The pH of the wateris raised by adding NaOH, preferably to a pH of at least about 9.0, morepreferably to a pH of at least about 10.0, and even more preferably to apH of at least about 10.1, and the zinc will drop out, as zinc carbonate(ZnCO₃) or zinc oxide (ZnO). The water, with the zinc removed, is thensuitable for reuse.

EXAMPLES Example 1—pH in Washing Step

Trials were conducted to hydrometallurgically clean recovered,mechanically separated material. In these trials, a sulfuric acidsolution was used to wash the material. Both zinc and manganese willdissolve in low pH (high acid concentration) solutions. Theseevaluations looked at the acid concentration level (pH) on itseffectiveness in removing potassium, zinc, and manganese. The goal wasto achieve recipes that would remove potassium only and another toremove potassium and zinc while minimizing manganese dissolution. Theultimate goal is to dissolve the zinc and potassium while leaving themanganese behind as a solid. These methods were tested on six batches ofrecovered cathode material (Ore 338, Ore 339, Ore 340, Ore 341, Ore 342,and Ore 343) obtained from mechanically (M) separated batteries, andcompared to the cathode material recovered from typically-washedhydrometallurgically (HM) separated batteries (Typical HM wash) andmechanically-separated, unwashed batteries (Typical M). 1,500 gallons ofwater was added to a wash tank, and 2,500 lbs of recycled material wassent through the hammer mill and added on top of the water, while thetank is mixing. Once added, the pH was adjusted with sulfuric acid andmixed for 30 minutes at room temperature, using a liquid to solid ratioof 13:1. The Typical HM wash material was mixed for 240 minutes at atemperature of 70° C., using a liquid to solid ratio of 5.6:1. Theresults are summarized in Table 3, below:

TABLE 3 Summary of results of washes at pH 1.5 and 4 Typical TypicalTypical New process for M wash Ore C4 HM wash M pH 4 pH 1.5 Target Zn(PPM) <100 29,000 70,000-100,000 70,000-100,000 4,200 <15,000 K (PPM)5000-7000 9,000 43,000 8,000 3,200 <7,000 Mn (%) 48-50 46 46.5 51 51.5>48

Based on the factorial design experiments, it was found that a sulfuricacid solution with pH of 4 will be effective in removing only potassium.To remove zinc and potassium while minimizing the manganese losses, a pHof 1.5 was found ideal. At this pH level, up to 95% of the zinc and 92%of the potassium can effectively be removed, with relatively lowdissolution of manganese. The remaining potassium is tied up in themanganese structure and can only be removed when the manganese isdissolved. Weight loss results, showing the utility of recipes having apH of about 1.5 and a pH of about 4, may be seen in FIG. 3.

Since removal of both potassium and zinc was needed, the lower pH (1.5)was selected for further evaluations. As can be seen, the impact of thispost washing (i.e. washing post-mechanical separation) on themechanically separated material resulted in this material having lowerpotassium and higher manganese content as compared to regularnon-recycled ore. The optimal cleaning conditions found to achieve thiswhile minimizing added costs from washing (liquid and washing time) wasto use a liquid to solid ratio of 13:1 with a minimum of a 30 minutewash at a pH of 1.5.

FIG. 4 shows the zinc analyses for the starting materials labeled Ore338 to Ore 343. These are unwashed batches of mechanically-separatedrecovered cathode material used for each wash. Mn Cake-338 to MnCake-343 represent the analyses of zinc in the manganese product(reported as dry basis) in the wet product cake prior to drying. TheDried 338 & 339 (comprising all of batch 338 and half of batch 339) andDried 339 & 340 (comprising all of batch 340 and half of batch 339)represent the final product. These are two final product batches whereeach dried product represents 1.5 wet cakes samples to produce the finalproduct. As is evident in the figure, the zinc levels remained flat foreach of the washed cakes and in the final product, confirming theprocess is stabilized. Both are approximately 4,000 PPM. This issignificantly lower than the target of <15,000 PPM.

FIG. 5 shows the potassium analyses for the same materials as in FIG. 4.As is evident in the figure, the potassium levels also remained flat foreach of the washed and in the final product confirming the process isstabilized. Both are approximately 3,000 PPM, which is well below evencurrent virgin ore used, as well as the target of <7,000 PPM. As aresult, the impact of potassium should be significantly improved forrecycled and non-recycled batteries if this material is used.

FIG. 6 shows the manganese analyses for the same materials as in FIG. 4.As is evident in the figure, the manganese levels also remained flat foreach of the washed batches and in the final product confirming theprocess is stabilized. Both are approximately 51.5%, which is higherthan currently used virgin ore, which has a 46 to 50% manganese content,and is also higher than the target of >48% manganese content. As aresult, the manganese usage should be significantly improved forrecycled and non-recycled batteries if this material is used.

FIG. 7 is the pH of the two dried products (one with half of batch 339and all of batch 338, and another with half of batch 339 and all ofbatch 340). Both had a pH greater than 4, which is beneficial for thecalcining process. At these current higher levels, there is no risk ofcorrosion, and the material is not considered hazardous. Furtherproduction campaigns produced after this effort continue to have a pHabove 4 (data not shown).

Example 2—Water Treatment and Re-Use

As discussed above, the washing process uses a significant amount ofwater. Each batch (containing approximately 2,500 lbs of recycledcathode material) required 4,200 gallons of liquid, which would need tobe treated as waste water and subsequently disposed of. Reusing the acidsolution, without treatment, was attempted. In a first trial of reusingthe water, both potassium and zinc were removed in an adequate amount.However, when the acid solution was re-used in another batch, the zinclevel increased from 4,200 PPM to greater than 30,000 PPM. While betterthan unwashed material, this was unsuitable for efficient manufacturingprocesses.

A new hydrometallurgical process was designed to clean the manganese andthen raise the pH of the liquid with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to a pH of10, which drops the zinc out of solution. The liquid, without the zinc,may then be re-used for the washing process, or returned to tanks forlater re-use.

The first batch described above (Ore 338) was washed with fresh liquid,and then each of the five subsequent batches (Ore 339, Ore 340, Ore 341,Ore 342, and Ore 343) were washed with liquid which had been treated toremove zinc. The results showed that the treated liquid can be used atleast 5 times. There is no indication that this is a limit for the totalnumber of times that the liquid can be treated and re-used.

FIG. 8 shows the sodium (Na) analyses for the Mn Cake-338 to Mn Cake-343(reported as dry basis) in the wet product cake prior to drying, and theaverage for all six batches. As is evident in the figure, the sodiumlevels also remained relatively flat for each of the washed productsconfirming the process is stabilized. This shows that, even thoughsodium is used to treat the water, there was no increase in sodiumlevels (i.e. buildup) over time.

The material washed with only fresh water (Ore 338) was compared to allof the washed samples. As the sodium concentration increased, it droppedout in the zinc product, leaving the sodium levels in the manganeseproduct stable.

FIG. 9 is the amount of water used for each of the batches. Batch 338used only fresh water (H₂O), while the subsequent batches each used1,500 gallons of the treated water (H₂O—R) in the washing step. Theremaining fresh water is used in the breaking, shredding and sieving ofbatteries in the process of obtaining the recycled material. In anembodiment, water obtained from the drying of the product is used inthese processes. In another embodiment, more than 1,500 gallons of thewater is treated and reused. In another embodiment, all of the water istreated and re-used.

FIG. 10 shows the amount of sulfuric acid used to wash the manganeseproduct (first bar in each column), the amount of NaOH used to treat thewater to remove the zinc (second bar), and additional sulfuric acidused, if necessary, if the target pH was overshot in the treatment(third bar). Overall, the data shows that when using fresh water only,55 gallons of 95% sulfuric acid is needed to wash the material at a pHof 1.5 and 80 gallons of 50% NaOH is needed to treat the water to removethe zinc at a pH=10. During the use of recycling of water, 67 gallons ofacid and 100 gallons of caustic were needed. These recipes wereconfirmed during the full scale production of washing this material.

Example 3—Leach Optimization of Fe:K Ratio

As discussed above, potassium is also removed during the leaching step,following the washing step. Efforts to optimize potassium removal viathe jarosite reaction were examined.

Leaching trials were conducted on 25% recycled material with variousFe:K ratios (11.5, 15, and 20) to determine what ratio minimizes thepotassium in the final cell feed solution. To conduct this evaluation,the hydrometallurgically recycled material was selected as itsimpurities will be higher than the improved washed mechanicallyseparated material. Therefore, the material represents the worst casescenario expected during production. To achieve the various levels ofFe:K, ferric sulfate was added.

The results, seen in FIG. 11, confirmed that the lowest overallpotassium levels were achieved while using the 11.5 Fe:K ratio. Prior tothis effort, previous work has shown that 11.5 is the minimum amountrequired to drive the jarosite reaction to remove potassium. Thiscurrent work confirms that increasing the ratio above this will onlyincrease the potassium level of the final solution. This is a result ofthe potassium that is included in the final ore addition to raise thepH. With higher Fe:K ratios, more ore is required to drive the pH above3.8, the minimum level. More ore containing higher potassium levels onlyled to more potassium being dissolved into solution at the end of theleach process.

Example 4—Leach Optimization of Peroxide Step

Another variable that was considered was the impact of holding the leachlonger during the H₂O₂ (peroxide) step to allow more potassium to bedissolved and react with the ferric. FIG. 12 summarizes the findings ofincreasing the time during the H₂O₂ step by 10, 20, and 30 minutes,using different Fe:K ratio. As expected, the longer times will aid inremoving potassium regardless of the Fe:K ratio use.

However, as discussed, maintaining the Fe:K ratio at 11.5 is critical toavoid excess potassium needing to be added in the last ore addition. Atthis level, the added time does continue to improve removal ofpotassium; however, the current process is already within the rangenormally observed in non-recycled manganese production. Consideringadded time leads to more constraints for the remaining process and addedcosts, it is not recommended unless absolutely necessary to forcepotassium levels lower.

Example 5—Leaching

Given the determinations made in the previous Examples, a small-scalecapping run experiment was completed with 25% washed,mechanically-separated material. The results of this trial confirmed thecurrent recipe with a potassium level of 1 PPM is achieved with thismaterial (FIG. 13), which was lower than trials completing virgin ore.Moreover, as a result of the higher manganese content from washing thematerial, the amount of calcined ore (i.e. MnO) that must be addedduring the leach, in order to adjust the pH, is reduced. Table 4, below,compares the amount of ore added for the leaching of virgin (standard)ore compared to the leaching of the washed, 25% recycled material blend.

TABLE 4 Final recipe, standard ore vs. 25% washed and recycled materialStandard Washed 25% blend Step Ore Added (g) pH Start-End Ore Added (g)pH Start-End Initial 24 0.572-1.401 24 0.572-1.443 pH 1.6 5 1.401-1.6604 1.443-1.701 Jarosite 3 1.981-2.072 2 1.989-2.051 H₂O₂ 4 2.675-3.311 42.715-3.210 Final 6.5 3.379-4.337 3 3.225-4.391 Total 42.5 37 % of 100%87% standard ore used

The trial confirmed that 13% less ore was required when using thecleaner, higher manganese content recycled material. This shouldcorrelate to an increase in manganese efficiency and a decrease in thesolids removed during the leach process as compared to virgin ore willbe expected.

Many modifications and other embodiments will come to mind to oneskilled in the art to which these embodiments pertain having the benefitof the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and theassociated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that theembodiments are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosedand that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be includedwithin the scope of the appended claims and list of embodimentsdisclosed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they areused in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation. For the embodiments described in this application, eachembodiment disclosed herein is contemplated as being applicable to eachof the other disclosed embodiments.

LIST OF REFERENCES CITED

-   U.S. Pat. No. 8,728,419 to Smith et al., issued May 20, 2014-   U.S. Pat. No. 8,911,696 to Smith et al., issued Dec. 16, 2014-   U.S. Pat. No. 9,620,790 to Deighton, issued Apr. 11, 2017-   Ferella F. et al., “Extraction of Zinc and Manganese from Alkaline    and Zinc-Carbon Spent Batteries by Citric-Sulphuric Acid Solution,”    Intl. J. Chem. Engineering, Article ID 659434 (2010)-   Sayilgan E. et al., “A review of technologies for the recovery of    metals from spent alkaline and zinc-carbon batteries,”    Hydrometallurgy, 97:158-166 (2009)

1. A battery produced using a process for removing potassium from anaqueous solution, said process comprising: a) reacting potassium sulfatewith ferric sulfate so as to form potassium jarosite, wherein theiron:potassium ratio is no greater than about 20:1.
 2. The battery ofclaim 1, wherein the iron:potassium ratio is no greater than about 15:1.3. The battery of claim 1, wherein the reaction occurs at a pH of about1.8 to about 2.0.
 4. The battery of claim 1, wherein the aqueoussolution is a sulfuric acid solution.
 5. The battery of claim 1, whereinthe iron:potassium ratio is about 11.5:1.
 6. A battery produced using aprocess for reducing the amount of fresh water required to recycle aplurality of batches of recovered battery material, said processcomprising the steps of: a) contacting manganese oxide solids comprisingzinc and impurities with an acidic solution, so as to produce a wastesolution comprising impurities; b) raising the pH of the waste solutionto at least 9.0 so as to cause a portion of the impurities toprecipitate; c) removing precipitated impurities; and d) after removingthe precipitated impurities, using the waste solution to wash additionalrecovered battery material; wherein the impurities comprise zinc orpotassium impurities.
 7. The battery of claim 6, wherein in step b) thepH is raised to at least 10.0.
 8. The battery of claim 6, wherein instep b) the pH is raised by adding NaOH.
 9. The battery of claim 6,wherein the process further comprises reducing the pH of the wastesolution prior to step d).
 10. The battery of claim 6, wherein theacidic solution is a sulfuric acid solution.
 11. (canceled)
 12. Abattery produced using a process for recycling batteries, said processcomprising the steps of: a) separating active materials contained withinbattery cases from the battery cases, wherein the active materialscomprise fine electrode powders of manganese oxides; b) extractingresidual zinc and potassium compounds from the fine electrode powders toobtain a purified manganese oxide product; wherein step b) is performedusing waste solution previously generated in the course of recyclingbatteries; and wherein the waste solution has been treated to removezinc by the addition of NaOH.
 13. The battery of claim 12, wherein stepb) is performed in an aqueous solution or aqueous slurry at a pH of lessthan or about 1.5.
 14. The battery of claim 12, wherein step a) iscarried out using a water spray to obtain a slurry of the fine electrodepowders and pieces of the battery cases.
 15. The battery of claim 12,wherein the separation in step a) comprises sieving the active materialsand the battery cases through a screen to separate the active materialsfrom the battery cases.
 16. The battery of claim 12, wherein during stepa) the active materials are present in the form of an aqueous slurryhaving a pH of greater than
 8. 17. The battery of claim 12, wherein thepurified manganese oxide product from step b) is roasted at 350-400° C.to remove substantially all volatile or corrosive impurities or tracesof mercury prior to calcinating the purified manganese oxide product at850° C. or higher.
 18. The battery of claim 12, wherein the liquid tosolid ratio during step c) is between about 12:1 to about 14:1.
 19. Thebattery of claim 12, wherein the aqueous solution or aqueous slurrycomprises sulfuric acid.
 20. (canceled)